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Who exactly is visiting Napa Valley?
According to a detailed new study, wine tourists to Napa Valley are becoming more diverse, including the number of Black wine travellers tripling between 2018 and 2023.
Last year, visitors to Napa Valley brought a whopping US$2.5 billion into the local economy, according to the 2023 Visitor Profile and Economic Impact Study, compiled by Visit Napa Valley.
The report provides a forensic breakdown into the tourists descending on Napa during the last year, and indicates that visitors have become more diverse. Between 2018 and 2023 the number of Black visitors to Napa Valley have tripled, now making up 11% of the total visitors to Napa, up from just 4% in 2018.
The number of Latino visitors has also nearly doubled from 10% in 2018 to 17% in 2023, and LGBTQ+ wine tourists also doubled in Napa from 4% to 8%.
Napa tourists are also getting younger, with the average visitor age falling by six years between 2018 and 2023. The average visitor age in 2023 was 40 years old, down from 46 years old.
Big spenders
Produced by Future Partners, the comprehensive research found that 3.7 million people visited Napa in 2023, and the wine region welcomed a record number of American visitors. Domestic US traveller numbers have climbed by 180,000 people in the last six years, indicating that Americans are becoming more interested in wine tourism. Almost all visitors (95%) said they would be “likely to return”.
The report further details that visitor spending and tourism alone generated more than US$107.5 million in tax revenue for Napa County last year, signifying a 26% increase on the 2018 coffers.
According to Emma Swain, chair of the board of directors for Visit Napa Valley and CEO of Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery, “one of the many positive benefits of these strong economic results is how they directly impact Napa Valley residents’ quality of life.”
Not only does the wine tourism industry employ around 20% of Napa Valley residents with an estimated 16,000 jobs, says the report, but visitors also pay a Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) on overnight hotel stays.
“These dollars go directly to our local governments’ general funds to help pay for public safety, libraries, parks and recreation, road repair and more to support a high quality of life for locals,” Swain adds.
Linsey Gallagher, president and CEO of Visit Napa Valley said she is “endlessly grateful for the diligence of the Visit Napa Valley team in highlighting the region as a dynamic place to visit, live and work.”
“Looking ahead,” she continued, “we are honoured to continue our proactive efforts to promote, protect and enhance the Napa Valley, and to drive destination stewardship initiatives that preserve it for generations to come.”
Visit Napa Valley is currently developing a Sustainable Tourism Strategic Plan to “support the long-term viability of its visitor economy” as well as launching a Green Lodging certification programme to drive sustainable initiatives within Napa’s hospitality industry including restaurants, transportation and attractions.
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